Nanotechnology Research - Identifies Peptide "Fingerprint" in Both Forms of ALS

A new findings in biomedical using nanotechnology has been found by Troy Woof of Buffalo University.

It is the first time that a common molecular signature has been found in patients with both familial and sporadic cases, where no other family members have the disease, of ALS.

Nanotechnology Identifies Peptide "Fingerprint" in Both Forms of ALS - UB NewsCenter

This finding has been found using nanotechnology approach.

"Only nanotechnology is capable of identifying a species in these amounts," he said. "Because of the minute amounts of analyte that are present in some samples, nanospray technologies, in particular, which reveal what we call a peptide's mass 'fingerprint,' have emerged as one of the most important tools in the field of proteomics."

Nanotechnology Identifies Peptide "Fingerprint" in Both Forms of ALS - UB NewsCenter

The test has been done to identify a molecular signature common to both familial and sporadic cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, sometimes called Lou Gehrig's Disease, or Maladie de Charcot) is a progressive, usually fatal, neurodegenerative disease caused by the degeneration of motor neurons, the nerve cells in the central nervous system that control voluntary muscle movement. As one of the motor neuron diseases, the disorder causes muscle weakness and atrophy throughout the body as both the upper and lower motor neurons degenerate and die, ceasing to send messages to muscles. Unable to function, the muscles gradually weaken, develop fasciculations (twitches) because of denervation, and eventually atrophy due to that denervation. The patient may ultimately lose their ability to initiate and control all voluntary movement except of the eyes.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia